Apparatus for automatically printing photographic paper or film with latent image



Oct. 14 1924. 1,511,584

EMMANUEL JEAN-BAPTISTE WILFRID SOULLIER APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER OR FILM WITH LATENT IMAGE Filed 27 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet l uunuun Emmanul Jean-Baptiste Wilfrid Scull ier 7 68 INVENTOR:

Oct. 14 1924. 1,511,584

EMMANUEL JEAN-BAPTISTE WILFRID SOULLIER APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER 0R FILM WITH LATENT IMAGE Filed Nov. 27 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Emmanuel Jean-Bapt1ste Wilfrid Soullier iNVENTOR;

Oct. 14 1924. 7 1,511,584

EMMANUEL JEAN-BAPTISTE WILFRID SOULLIER APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER 0R FILM WITH LATENT IMAGE Filed Nov- 27. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Emmanuel Jean-BaptisteWilfrid Soullier- \NVENTOR;

Oct. 14, 1924. 1,511,584

EMMANUEL JEAN-BAPTISTE WI LF'RID SOULLIER APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER 0R FILM WITH LATENT IMAGE Filed 27 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Emmanuel Jean-Baptiste Wilfrid Soullier INvENTOR;

KL; Attorney.

" ing to a negative or a Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES EMMANUEL JEAN-BAPTISTE WILFRID SOULLIER, OF NANTERRE, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER LATENT IMAGE.

Application filed November 27, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMANUEL JEAN- BAPTISTE VILFRID SoULLIER, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at N anterre, Seine, in the French Republic, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Printing Photographic Paper orFilm with Latent Image, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object an apparatus for photographic printing upon paper or film with latent image in which I am enabled to carry out the rapid printing upon a large sheet of paper or film accordportion of a negative, of images in indefinite size and number which by means of regulating devices on the apparatus will be in exact juxtaposition and can then be cut out by paper cutter. By the close registering which is obtained, a given sheet of paper can be printed upon in the same place by the use several different negatives, thus providing for the superposition of images, wording or colours as desired.

The apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a device for moving the sheet by a constant and adjustable distance in the lengthwise direction, and a device ensuring the automatic movement of the sheet in the transverse direction by a constant and adjustable distance, this latter device being controlled by a pedal which also applies the sheet against the negative and turns on the light, the negative being also held against the upper surface of the apparatus by a wedge device which can be rapidly put in place, and being protected by suitable bands so that the sheet in its movement will have no friction upon the negative.

In the appended drawings, which show by way of example an embodiment of the invention OR FILM WITH Serial No. 677,208.

away of the sheet holding guide viewed from the side of the sheet-pressing device.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the top of the apparatus with the guides support partly broken away in order to show the stop piecesplaced under the guides.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section of the line i -A of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an end View of the side of the cheek carrying the guide pulleys for the control belts of the guides.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line C-C of Fig. showing the braking pistons.

Fig. 12 is a. plan view of the device forshading off the view.

The said apparatus comprises a box 1 con taining the printing lamp 2 and the ruby lamp 3. A mercury or friction switch operated by the pedal 21 to be further men- 'tioned, serves to light the lamp; said switch can be replaced by an automatic make and break switch of a known type. The box comprises two flaps 4 and 5, one for access to the lamps and the other for access to the shading off device 6.

The top of the box is closed by a heavy glass plate 7 on which is placed the negative 8; the latter is held by a wedge device 9 in the cut-out part 10 of a large sheet of p-asteboard or the like 11 placed upon the glass plate. A stencil of the proper size and shape is disposed on the negative.

The sheet 12 to be printed upon is held upon a movable device (to be further described) so that it can be moved through a certain distancein order that the successive parts printed upon by the negative shall be adjacent to one another. During each printing operation the sheet is well pressed upon the negative by a felt-lined plate 13 held by two guide-rods 14 provided with springs 15 co-operating with a member 16 which is secured to a support 17, and said member may slid-e upon the dovetailed part 18 so as to uncover the plate for its removal and insertion.

The support 17 is held by two arms 19 guided in the straps 20 and secured to the pedal 21 which pivots on an axle 22 and is provided with a weight 23. At 24, 25 are two stop-pieces-limiting the motion of the pedal. The arms 19 are given the shape indicated in the drawing so as not to hinder the movements of the printing sheet upon the top plate of the apparatus.

The sheet 12 is held upon two cords 26 spaced at a suitable distance from eachother and which are somewhat stretched above the top plane of the machine by weights 27, Fig. 3. Thecords will .yield to the pressure of the plate 13 but will be slightly raised when this :action ceases, soithat the sheet will have no friction on the negative when moved.

Upon operating the pedal 22, the pressing plate 13, by means of the arms 19 and support 1?, will strongly press the part of the sheet to-be printed upon against the negative, and sin'ce *the controlledor automatic switch of the lamp 2 is operated by the pedal, the said la'nip will light either during the time of pressing the pedal 01' during the tii'ne "for which the automatic switch has been adjusted. During the back motion of =thepedal, the paper is automatically-moved-in the cross direction, as will be further stated.

The printing sheet can be given two movements, i. e. an automatic cross motion for printing the'images side by side in a row, or a hand-controlled lengthwise motion for producing parallel rows of images.

The 'sheet' 12 is disposed in a sheet-holder consisting of two angle bars 28, 29 faced with india rubber at 28 ,29 Figs. 7 and 9; one -b'ar 28 i-ssecured toithe guide d6 of the automatic cross'shi-fting device and the bar 29 is secured to thesame device but can be moved with respect to thebar 28 due to inclined s'l'ots29 cooperating with the studs 28. A stop-piece 12, Fig. 7, allows of placing the sheet always in'the same position.

The automatic shifti'ng device is mounted on a slide-havinga lengthwise motion and comprising'two bars 30 which are displaced bymeans'of dovetailedparts uponthe sides of the-box 1 said-box barsarehe'ld parallel by anrassembli'ng rod 31- placed behind the machine and having at the ends thepinions 32 engaging racks 33 formed on the said bars, Fig.2 1

At oneside of-the-apparatus is disposed the guide bar 3% which is adapted to slide and-' isaprovided'witha fixed stop-piece 35 andfanadj-ustable stop-piece 36 sliding in a lgraduated slot "37 in which it can-besecured in the:proper position. Against the said stop-piece iscaused to'bear a fixed stop-piece '38 mounted on the corresponding bar'30; the bar 34 is-constantlyacted upon by the weight 39 secured to the cable 39 The bar 30is providedwith a stop-piece 40 for determiningthe'margins which is adjustab'le in a guide-slotiO limiting its motion towards the operator. Theguide bar 345'fand the bar 30 of-theslide which is disposed upoirthesame are held fixed by two pistons whose-ends consist-of a set 'of'steel points *ai'dapted: to "enter the streaked wood of the guides or strips of wood mounted upon the guidebars so as to be replaced after wear, the points being forced in by the pressure of suliicient coil springs; said pistons can be raised by two-levers 4:1, 4:2

which are operated alternately or simultaneously by the right hand so as to release either separately or together the guide bars 34 and 30 which are normally held by the pistons.

The operation is as follows:

At the commencement, the bars 30 and 3d are brought towards the operator, and the stoppiece 38 comes into contact with the stoprpiece-35. One adjusts the movable stop-piece 36 so as to make the distance between 35 and 36 equal to the length of the image. When a row of images has been. printed on the paper, the operator moves the lever a1 so as to raise the corresponding piston and he pushes the movable slide until the stop-piece '38 of the bar 30 touches the stop-piece 36; he then releasesthe lever 41; thebar 30 is held fixed, and the sheet is now ready for the printing of the next row ofimages. The operator thenacts upon the lever 42 to release the bar 34 which moves under the action of the weight 30 until its stop-piece '35 touches the stop-piece 38. The device has now returned to the initial position, and by a like operation another set of images can be printed.

The device. ensuring the automatic cross shift of the paper sheet is disposed in front of the operator on the front part of the sliding device formed by the bars 30, and comprises a metallic frame A of about double the length of the largest sheet used in the printing; said frame has at. either end a cheek 100, 101. The said cheeks maintain a metallic bar 102 which is so disposed as to form two sliding ways at 103 and 104, one for the guidepiece and the other for the paper-holding guide 1-6. To facilitate the manufacture of the bar 102, the sliding ways for the said guides which are to guide and to hold the latter are formed by the use of metallic strips 105, 106 each secured to one side of 102, Fig. 9.

The guide piece 45 has screwed to its lower face the fixed stop-piece 54, Fig. 8, which consists of a plate extending freely into the space between thebar 102 and the frame l i.

Upon the guide piece 45 is also mounted the movable stop-piece 59 consisting of a plate bent at right-angles, whose lower flange is disposed between 102 and 4A, in the same manner asthestop-piece 54-, and whose vertical flange is held by nuts ('30 screwed to the screw threaded rods 107 mounted on a] metallic piece 108 adapted to slide in a cut-out part'109'forined for this purpose in the guide-piece 45; the bolts 107 extend into the slot 58. The vertical flange is provided with an orifice 110 with graduated edge forming a Vernier with the scale 110 of the guide.

At 111 are disposed the small studs which are used when instead of performing the automatic printing operation, it is desired to proceed with hand printing, and the studs will allow the guide to be readily seized when manipulating it.

The paper-holding guide piece 46, carrying the said anglebars 28, 29 for clamping the paper, have disposed upon the bottom the plate 56, Figs. 8 and 9, serving as a fixed stoppiece; said plate which is disposed between the bar 102 and the frame 44 comes into contact during the relative motion of the two guides, with the fixed stop-piece 54 and the movable stop-piece 59 of the guide 45.

Upon the guide path 104 can be displaced, as well as secured in position by a screw 63, a U-shaped piece 62 serving as a stop-piece for the margins, and upon which is caused to bear the guide 46.

The automatic motion of the guide-pieces at the proper time is effected by a spring mechanism whose speed can be regulated by a button an acting upon a regulating device. The said mechanism which is contained in the box 112 mounted on the main frame 44 comprises two drums, not shown, upon which are disposed two belt 113 and 114, Figs. 6 and 10, one belt being attached to the guide-piece 45 and the other to the guide-piece 46; said belts are disposed upon the guide pulleys 115, 116 mounted on the support 117 secured to the cheek 100 and extend through the holes 118, 119.

The belts 113, 114 are provided at the ends with a metallic strip 120 having a round part engaging in a recess of suitable shape provided in each guide-piece. This affords a solid attachment while at the same time the belts can be readily removed from their guides, as is necessary for the hand operation.

The guides 45, 46 are provided at the top with streaked wood strips 65, 66, Fig. 11, co-operating with'the pointed ends of the two pistons 67 68. The pistons are mounted at the middle part of the frame 44. Springs 69 urge the pistons upon the strips so as to hold these latter stationary.

Each piston is acted upon at the top by a double-arm lever 70, 71 pivoting on an axle 72 mounted on the frame and turned by the flexible metallic cable 73 (e. g. of the Bowden type) attached at one end to the lever 74 secured to the axle 72 and at the other to the lever 126 pivoted on the axle 125 mounted on the rod 124, Fig. 2, secured at its end to the box.

A spring 79 surrounds the rod 72 controlling the pistons 67, 68, said spring bein secured to a fixed support 80 of the rod and through the medium of the ring 81 to the said rod itself. The tension of the spring can be adjusted by the ring 81 and the device is so regulated that the piston 68 shall be raised by the arm 71 of the lever. On the rod 72 is mounted a handle 82 for raising the arm of said lever without interfering with the position of the arm 71.

The lever arms 70, 71 are keyed to the shaft 72 so that when acted upon by said shaft, one arm will rise and the other will fall, in such manner that when the guidepiece 45 is released, the guide-piece 46 will be held. But the adjustment is such that in the mean position the two pieces will be both held fixed.

WVhen the operator begins the printing of a sheet of paper or commences another row of images after having properly moved in the lengthwise direction, as stated, the slide 30upon the guide 34, the guide-piece 45 and the paper-holding piece 46 will now be situated on the right hand side of the apparatus with the stop-piece 56 against the stop-piece 54. On the other hand he has adjusted the position of the movable stoppiece 59 which is so placed that its distance from the stop-piece 56 corresponds to the width of the image as read on the Vernier 110; he has further placed in the proper position the margin stop-piece 62 which limits the stroke of the guides to the right in accordance with the width of the paper sheet employed. WVhen the pedal 21 is operated, the paper 18 applied against the negative; the lamp 2 is lighted and the printing takes place; when lowered by the pedal, the rod 19 will act through the link 127 (pivoting on the axle 122) upon the lever 126 pivoting on the axle 125. The lever 126 has at the end a slot 128 in which can be adjustably secured a member 129 attached to the end of the cable 73; the latter acts upon thelever 74 of the axle 72 and rotates the said axle which through the medium of the arm 70 raises the piston 67 from the guide-piece 45 and the latter, when released, will move to the left under the action of the spring mechanism in the box 112 which exercises a constant traction upon the cables to bring together the guide-pieces 45, 46 and the cheek 100. This movement of the guide-piece 45 takes place until the stop-piece 59 meets the stop-piece 56. During this time the image is printed upon the paper. The operator has now released the pedal 21 and since the lever 126 has returned to the first position, the axle 72 will turn under the action of the spring 79 in the contrary direction; the guide-piece is held by the piston 67 and the arm 71 raises the piston 68 which releases the sheet holdin guide 46 which is also brought to the l eft by the corresponding ill) spring of the boX 112 until the stop-piece 56 meets the stop-piece 5a, which corresponds to a movement of the same through a distance equal to the width of the image. The paper is thus in position for the next printing operation and the images will be placed side by side in the first row. The flexible sheath surrounding the cable is held at one end by a fork 127 whose position is adjustable on the rod 124;, and at the. other end by the fork 180.

When the row of images is completed, in order to provide for the next row one displaces the slide 30 as stated, and the guide pieces 45, are. brought to the starting position at the right of the apparatus; the piece at being released from the piston, whilst do is held by the piston 67. By using the handle 82 one can raise the piston 67 without lowering the piston 68, and the handle G5 is operated to bring the guide piece to the right; since the stop-pieces 54 and 56 are in contact, this will further ensure the entraining of the guide piece This movement of the guide-pieces to the right will again set the springs, and the latter are thus in position for the succeeding row. It

limited by the contact between the guidepiece 46 and the stop-piece 62. If the latter had not been put in its place, the guidepieces might be brought to the right hand end of the frame ie. The machine is ready for a succeedingoperation when the handle 82 is released, with the guide-pieces in position.

The apparatus can also be used for ordinary printing for making test proofs or for single prints, and it is simply necessary to release the sheath of the flexible cable from the fork 130.

ghould it be desired, the machine can be operated by hand, and in this case the cable is dispensed with as well as the said link 127, and also the driving mechanism in the box 112; the pistons 6'7, 68 will then be operated by suitable levers analogous to those mentioned for the slide movable in the lengthwise direction (41 and 42, Fig. 2). The two guide-pieces will now be caused to slide in an alternate manner by acting with the fingers upon the studs 111.

i Fig. 12- shows an adjustable device for shading off the images, consisting essentially of two superposed glass plates having various cut-out pieces or stencils, their openings being combined according to their respective positions. The lower plate is moved directlv by the operators left hand; the upper plate which is titted into a holder somewhat curved at the bottom and sides, is seized by the right hand. The plates slide rearwardly upon the rubber-covered strips of a frame which is movable to the right or left upon a main frame. The whole device can be raised and lowered by a wedge so as toprovide for ed to slide through adjustable distances and lengthwise upon said machine body, a transverse sheet holding frame supported by said longitudinal frame and adapted to slide transversally and through adjustable distances upon the same and above said plate holding means and lighting means within said machine body.

2. A machine for printing positives comprising a machine body, plate holding means at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame embodying main side bars adapted to slide on either side of said machine body, one of said main side bars carrying a fixed stop-piece adapted to cooperate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjustable stop-piece carried by an adjacent side bar, a transverse sheet holding frame sup ported by said main side bars and adapted to slide transversally and through adjustable distances upon the same and above said plate holding means and lighting means within said machine body.

3. A machine for printing positives comprising a machine body, plate holding means at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame embodying main side bars adapted to slide on either side of said machine body, one of said main side bars carrying a fixed stop-piece adapted to cooperate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjustable stop-piece carriedby an adjacent side bar, the latter being constantly urged in the direction of its motion, means for holding separately in position said main side bars and said adjacent side bar, a transverse sheet holding frame supported by said main side bars and adapted to slide transversally and through adjustable distances upon the same and above said plate holding means and lighting means within said machine body.

4:. A machine for printing positives comprising a machine body, plate holding means at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame embodying main side bars adapted to slide on either side of said machine body, one of said main side bars carrying a fixed stop-piece adapted to 000p erate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjustable stop-piece carried by an adjacent side bar, the latter being constantly urged in the direction of its motion, strips of wood se trolled pistons carried by said machine body and provided with claws adapted to enter said strips, a transverse sheet holding frame supported by said main side bars and adapted to slide transversally and through adj ustable distances upon the same and above said plate holding means and lighting means within said machine body.

5. A machine for printing positives comprising a machine body, plate holding means at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame embodying main side bars adapted to slide on either side of said machine body, one of said main side bars carrying a fixed stop-piece adapted to cooperate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjustable stop-piece carried by an adjacent side bar, the latter being constantly urged in the direction of its motion, means for holding separately in position saidmain side bars and said adjacent side bar, a transverse sheet holding frame embodying two guide pieces adapted to slide transversally upon said main side bars and above said plate holding means, one of said guide pieces carrying the sensitive sheet and being provided with a fixed stop-piece adapted to cooperate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjustable stop-piece carried by the other guide piece, and lighting means within said machine body.

6. A machine for printing positives comprising a machine body, plate holding means at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame embodying main side bars adapted to slide on either side of said machine body, one of said main side bars carrying a fixed stoppiece adapted to cooperate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjustable stop-piece carried by an adjacent side bar, the latter being constantly urged in the direction of its motion, means for holding separately in position said main side bars and said adjacent side bar, a transverse sheet holding frame embodying two guide pieces adapted to slide transversally upon said main side bars and above said plate holding means, one of said guide pieces carrying the sensitive sheet and being provided with a fixed stop-piece adapted to cooperate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjustable stop-piece carried by the other guide piece, said guide pieces being constantly urged in the direction of their motion, means for holding said guide pieces in position and releasing the same alternately,

and lighting means Within said machine body.

7. A machine for printing positives comprising a machine body, plate holding means at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame embodying main side bars adapted to slide on either side of said machine body, one of said main side bars carrying a fixed stop-piece adapted to cooperate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjustable stop-piece carried by an adjacent side bar, the latter being constantly urged in the direction of its motion, means for holding separately in position said main side bars and said adjacent side bar, a transverse sheet holding frame embodying tWo guide pieces adapted to slidetransversally upon said main side bars and above said plate holding means, one of said guide pieces carrying the sensitive sheet and being provided with a fixed stop-piece adapted to cooperate with a fixed stop-piece and an adjust-able stop-piece carried by the other guide piece, said guide pieces being constantly urged in the direction of their motion, strips of wood secured respectively to each guide piece, spring controlled pistons carried at either end of a bell crank lever pivoted on said longitudinal frame, a control member pivoted on said machine body, a link connection including a flexible cable between said control member and said bell crank lever and lighting means Within said machine body.

8. A machine for printing positives comprising a machine body, means for holding a negative at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame supported by and adapted to slide through adjustable distances and lengthwise upon said machine body, a transverse sheet holding frame supported by said longitudinal frame and adapted to slide transversally and through adjustable distances upon the same and above said negative holding means, a control member pivoted on said machine body and controlling the sliding movements of said frames, a plate operatively connected to said control member and adapted to slide transversally upon said machine body and to press the sensitive sheet upon said negative, and lighting means within said machine body.

9. A machine for printing positives comprising a machine body, means for holding a negative at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame supported by and adapted to slide through adjustable distances and lengthwise upon said machine body, a transverse sheet holding frame supported by said longitudinal frame and adapted to slide transversally and through adjustable distances upon the same and above said negative holdingmeans, a control member pivoted on said machine body and controlling the sliding movements of said frames, a. plate operatively connected to said control member and adapted to side transversally upon said machine ody and to press the sensitive sheet upon said negative, and lighting means within said machine body and also controlled y said control member.

10. A machinefor printing positives comprising a machine body, a transparent plate adjustable distances and lengthwise upon said machine body, a transverse sheet liolding frame supported by said longitudinal frame and adapted to slide transversally and through adjustable distances upon the same and above said transparent plate, a control member pivoted on saidma'chine body and controlling the sliding movement of said frames, a plate operatively connected to said control member and adapted to slide transversally upon said machine body and to press the sensitive sheet upon said negative With interposition of said tapes, and lighting means Within said machine body.

nausea 11. A machine for printing positives coniprising a machine body, plateholding means at the upper part of said machine body, a longitudinal frame supported by and adapted to slide through adjustable distances and lengthwise upon said machine body, a transverse slieetholding frame supported'by said longitudinal frame and adapted to slide transversally and through adjustable distances upon the same and above said plate holding means, lighting means Within said machine body and a shading device disposed between said lighting means and said plate and comprising a support carrying twosuperpo'sed stencils provided With openings and adapted to slide separately and parallel with one another on said support, said support being adapted to slidein a cross direction on said machine body.

In testimony whereof I'have signed my name to this specification. V

EMMANUEL JEAN-BAPTISTE WlLFRlD SOULLIER. 

